The Blue Mountains

On Wednesday Louise and I went on a day trip to The Blue Mountains to admire the outstanding natural landscapes in the park. It was worthwhile going on the day tour as we got to see many places in a relatively short space of time which we would not have managed if travelling alone. Going to The Blue Mountains was in our plans ever since we knew we were going to Sydney so we were extremely excited to finally be visiting.

The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue mist and haze that appears above the Eucalyptus Trees. It is thought this occurs because of the mixture of eucalyptus oil, dust and water particles which scatter refracted rays of light blue in colour. From a distance the mountains do appear to be blue. 

Our guide explained to us that this was a unique mountain range as it's valleys and troughs were more significant than it's peaks. They are not a high rising mountain range but they are full of steep sided valleys and vertical cliff faces. That is why when searching for a route through the mountain range the three explorers who were successful followed the mountain ridges rather than trying to find a route through the valleys, where they would often get stuck.

Before we reached the mountains we stopped at the Nepean River, on the Western border of Sydney for drinks and snacks. It also gave us an an opportunity to buy tickets for Scenic World which we would be visiting in the afternoon and enjoy some of the views and wildlife; such as this guy...

After entering The Blue Mountains we went to Kings Tableland, a lookout over the wilderness of the mountains. We stopped at Lincoln's Rock to appreciate the view of the forests stretching across the wide valley. 

Our next stop was at the spectacular Wentworth Falls where there was another excellent viewpoint and the waterfall plummeting down the cliff face. We had to take a short walk down about 200 steps to get there through the Australian bush. It was coming back that was the problem unfortunately!

We stopped in Leura for lunch at a lovely cafe and we explored the town before boarding the minibus again. Unfortunately I did not get many photos of this quaint town but I managed to get one of the post office and of a road sign.. because I thought the name was hilarious (in mine and Louise's opinion).

After lunch we drove through Katoomba, which is the chief town in The Blue Mountains, and headed to Scenic World. This is an old mining area which has been changed into a tourist attraction, allowing guests to view the incredible scenery from 2 cable cars and you can ride the world's steepest railway into the valley to explore and admire the luscious vegetation from the boardwalks. 

The first cable car took us across Echo Point, a part of the deep Jamison Valley, with waterfalls cascading down the sides and spectacular rock formations sitting around the top such as the Three Sisters. There are many Aboriginal tales, as well as geographical knowledge, which explain the presence of these rocks but the one our guide told us is written below. It is written from memory so it is not entirely accurate!

The three sisters were the daughters of the towns magic man. He had to go to the valley to hunt/search for something and his daughters wanted to join him. Girls and women do not normally go into the valley and the father does not want them to come with him as it is unsafe. However, after begging and pleading he agrees to take them to the top of the valley so they can see it and it is where they must wait for him. 

Whilst they wait for their father the girls become bored and start throwing rocks into the valley. They have a competition and the rocks they throw are progressively bigger in size. They trigger an avalanche which wakes the beast at the bottom of the valley. He decides to attack the three sisters but the father, hearing the commotion and the scheming beast turns his daughters into rocks. When the beast changed direction and tried to attack the father he changed himself into lyre bird but in the ensuing melee he dropped his magic stick and could not transform either himself or his daughters back. That is why today there is the three sisters rock formation and also why lyre birds are often found scrabbling around in the dirt; they are searching for the magic stick. 

Following the cable ride across the canyon it was time for us to go on the railway, which I was more than a little excited about, being the geek that I am. The line is 415m long and altogether the railway drops 206m with the steepest incline being 52 degrees. Originally the line was used for transporting coal from the mines up the valley walls and when the railway first opened to the public a coal skip was still being used for passengers. Due to it's growing popularity the skip was replaced by the "Mountain Devil" railway car to allow more people to use it in a comfortable manner. 

At the bottom we could walk along the specially constructed boardwalks to explore and admire the vegetation which grows in the valley. They wound past the old mines where there were displays giving information about the history. 

We left Scenic World after nearly two hours spent wandering around enjoying the nature of The Blue Mountains. The drive back took us past the site of an Aboriginal rock engraving which is thought to have last been carved around 400 years ago. It is thought that the carving is off a dead kangaroo but it isn't exactly certain. 

Next stop was Homebush Bay, the site of the 2000 Olympic Games Park. I do not have any photos of this and it was a bit eerie to drive round a quiet area that was once buzzing for around a month during the Games. The stadium is now a concert venue and the majority of the sports arenas are still in use ensuring that the buildings do not go to waste. New offices and flats are being opened in the area to try and breathe life into it; problems which were also faced by our own Olympic Park. 

Our day ended with an afternoon cruise along the Parramatta River in Sydney Harbour, back to Circular Quay. The sun began setting and we had some beautiful views from the boat. 

Following a long day of being tourists (our favourite activity), Louise and I walked back 40 minutes through the city to the hostel which nearly killed us. We relaxed with a drink from the bar next door before crawling happily into our beds. 

Until next time.

A x

Sightseeing in Central Sydney and Manly

After our highly unsuccessful and unproductive Monday, Tuesday promised to be a lot better. We had discovered the previous day that there are daily walking tours of Sydney for free. The guides don't charge anything but tips are encouraged and so for travellers on a budget this was an extremely good way to see the city. The three hour walk took us past many famous landmarks and areas of the city centre and the guide was extremely informative and knowledgeable. Sydney is a very picturesque and beautiful city and it was difficult not to stop and take photos every five minutes. 

We started in the city centre by the town hall and joined the huge crowd milling around by the two bright green t-shirts of the tour guides. The free tour is evidently a popular concept as there were around 60 people who turned up for the morning tour and they split us into two groups to operate the tours. 

Following this we went past an old cathedral which was built on a road which now is not as popular as the road that runs parallel to it, so it appears as if the cathedral is facing the wrong way as there is no entrance on what is now effectively the maintenance road. 

The plaque below reads Eternity and there are several of these dotted round the city stemming from one man's work. Arthur Stace was previously an alcoholic and had been to jail countless of times. When trying to turn his life around he went to church and on one occasion a preacher was telling the congregation how he wished he could 'shout eternity through the streets of Sydney'. This stuck with Stace and he took it upon himself to dedicate his life spreading God's word through his own unique style of Evangelism. 

He would get up early each morning and write Eternity on the pavements of Sydney with a crayon and in elegant copperplate script. It is estimated that throughout his life he wrote it around half a million times. Until 1956 Stace was anonymous in his work, until he was caught writing on the pavement. His life work was commemorated in 2000 when for the millennium Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up with the word Eternity.  

Next up was the Queen Victoria Building which is known as the QVB. Outside there is a statue of Queen Victoria gifted to Sydney by Ireland and opposite is a sculpture of her favourite dog, Islay. It has become extremely popular in Sydney and was given a voice by a local dj encouraging people to donate money to the deaf and blind children's charity. The building used to house markets but it is now a grand and decorative arcade packed with many shops.

There are many underground tunnels connecting parts of Sydney and we went from the mall through to some of the main streets in Sydney. We passed the Hilton Hotel which was bombed during a political meeting in 1978, Australia's first and only domestic terror attack. In the same vicinity was another landmark, the Sydney Tower. From the bar and restaurant st the top you can get a 360 degree view of the city, or for those more daring, you can participate in a sky walk around the perimeter of the building. Unluckily, all the times we could have gone were already fully booked so we missed out. But I am told the views are spectacular.

Hyde Park was next on our walking tour and the magnificent St. Mary's cathedral which sits within it. The fountain, cathedral and park were all extremely beautiful and it was a pleasant setting where many people were enjoying morning strolls. 

The history of Sydney is very interesting. It was established in 1788 as a penal colony at Sydney Cove, part of the harbour, which was named Port Jackson but is now more commonly referred to as Sydney Harbour. The name Sydney came from Lord Sydney, the British Home Secretary of the time. The penal colony was set up by the British to alleviate pressure on the prison system. For over 80 years the British sent prisoners to Sydney. 

Opposite the park on the corner stands the Hyde Park Barracks which used to house the convict colony but today it is a museum. We did not find time to go to this museum but it sounds incredibly interesting. 

The Mint was built by 1816 and was originally intended to be the southern wing of the Sydney Hospital. However, the proposed hospital was far too big for the, then small population and so in 1854 the first branch of the Royal Mint outside of England was established. It operated until 1926 when the new Commonwealth Mint was established in Canberra. Now the building is used as a cafe, meeting rooms and has a small display of the history of the site.

Next door is the present day Sydney Hospital, built on the site of the 'Rum Hospital' of which The Mint building used to be part of. It was named the Rum Hospital as it was funded by the sale of rum to the penal colony because the English government did not want to fund such a grand project so far overseas. 

Below is the lucky pig, Il Porcellino, a copy of the one found in Florence. Rubbing the snout of the boar is said to being luck and good health to those who do so and thus many hospital patients, visitors and indeed, tourists are seen holding his nose. 

Our walk took us next to Martin Place, a central economic and business area, housing three of the leading banks, other corporations and some of the television news channels. It is common to see bt crews filming segments for the morning shows outside.

In the same street is the impressive clock tower and building which used to house the Postal Service. It is still found in the same building but it is not the sole occupier as it now also houses, restaurants, cafés, shops and bars. 

Situated outside the General Post Office is The Cenotaph commemorating the lives of the ANZAC soldiers lost during WW1 and Australian troops to die in further conflicts. 

Another back alley, reached by small passageway, contained a brilliant art installation. It was meant to be temporary but the residents of the city, Sydneysiders, liked it so much that it was made permanent. Suspended from wires are many bird cages and different birdsong is played through surrounding speakers. On the pavement there are many different tiles with the names of different species of bird engraved upon them. 

In Australia Square there is a statue of a waiting man, aptly named Waiting, by John Seward Johnson II. Johnson was the grandson of one of the co-founders of Johnson & Johnson but was fired from the company and therefore made a living through creating sculptures. 

Customs House is a historical landmark in Circular Quay which until 1990 was the headquarters of the Customs Service. It is now used for functions, exhibitions and is the home of the City of Sydney Library. On the ground floor is an amazing scale model of Sydney's CBD which can be viewed through the glass floor. 

We strolled around Circular Quay listening to interesting stories about the designing of the Opera House and the long, drawn out construction. The original architect Jorn Utzon, from Denmark, won a design competition in 1957 and work begun in 1958. However, the project went over budget and ended with Utzon's forced resignation and for many years he was never accredited for his work. It was finally completed in 1973 and is one of Sydney's most iconic and recognisable sites.

The Rocks are some of the oldest parts of Sydney and were due to be demolished due to their slum like conditions. However, protests ensured that The Rocks were redeveloped making it the vibrant and beautiful area that it is today. 

The Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened on 19th March 1932 but the opening ceremony did not go entirely to plan. As the bridge was about to be opened by a cutting of the ribbon, a man in military uniform riding a horse, slashed the ribbon with his sword. He declared the bridge open in the name of the people of New South Wales. The intruder was Francis De Groot and he was resentful that a member of the Royal Family was not invited to open the bridge. He was promptly arrested and the ribbon re-tied to be cut officially. He has however left a lasting impression with the story being repeated to this day. 

Interestingly we passed the shortest street in Sydney which is about 3 houses long and pictured below.  It's cute but pretty crazy. 

All over Sydney there are decorative rhinos raising money and awareness about the plight of the world's rhinos. All of the artworks are large, adult size rhinos except this adorable baby statue at the harbour. They were all extremely beautiful and it was fun to spot them around the city. 

After lunch we went to Manly to visit the small town and it's beaches. The ferry took 30 minutes to reach the outer harbour vicinity where Manly is situated. On the way we passed Fort Denison, a former prison and defensive facility occupying a small island in the harbour, just past the Opera House. 

It was lovely to have a chilled afternoon after our, slightly more hectic than usual, morning. There is a small beach near the ferry terminal which we visited first. This was good as it was more locals orientated than touristic. Later, we headed down the high street to the beach at the other end which opened out onto the ocean as opposed to the harbour.

The sun was setting by the time we made it onto our ferry back and we managed to get a brilliant view of the city, opera house and harbour bridge silhouetted in the early evening light. 

Until next time. 

A x

Hello Sydney!

Louise and I arrived in Sydney on Sunday 16th March around 3 in the afternoon having travelled for nearly 18 hours with no sleep and jumping 9 time zones. Luckily for us we had three seats to the two of us on the plane so at least we weren't too cramped. Needless to say we were still hideously jet lagged for at least our first two days. It feels really strange knowing that the rest of the world is so far behind you time wise, especially when people are still the day before in other places. 

We managed to navigate ourselves from the airport to the city via train and luckily for us our hostel was less than two minutes from Central Station. Resisting the temptation to get straight into bed we organised to meet my second cousin Ian and his wife Anita who very kindly offered to have us round for dinner that evening. When they picked us up from the hostel Ian gave us a brief tour of the area he lived in near Bondi beach and took us to see the sunset over Sydney. 

The skyline silhouetted against the setting sun was beautiful. 

We were treated to a lovely beef soup for dinner which was wonderful especially after so many plane meals. As always when seeing family it was wonderful to catch up but after one glass of wine I was nearly asleep in my dinner. On the way back Ian again gave us a quick tour but I think I fell asleep sporadically and I definitely missed the Opera House. At the hostel we quickly crawled into bed and promptly passed out for about 13 hours sleeping well into Monday. Oops. 

With both of us feeling extremely strange on Monday we decided not to do much but just have a walk through the central business district to Circular Quay, the main ferry terminal in the Harbour. It took about 40 minutes although we did have to stop for food as we both felt close to passing out. We tried to plan our 5 days in Sydney over lunch as there was so much to see and so little time. We had quite a lot of cramming to do but the barman was really helpful giving us pointers I. What was good and what wasn't worth it. 

Finally we made it to Circular Quay and saw the Harbour Bridge. Having admired it for a bit we both agreed we felt too crazy and strange to carry on touristy activities and agreed to go back. We completely forgot and didn't realise that the Opera House was just around the corner and so we never actually got to look at it on the Monday. I'm blaming the jetlag. It was also responsible for the fact that we both failed to bring working cameras out with us, so even if we had made it to the Opera House there would have been no photos anyway! 

After a largely unsuccessful day we went back to the hostel hoping that a good shower and more sleep would finally sort us out. Bounce, the hostel we stayed at, has a very good reputation having won a Hoscar (Hostel awards) recently. The hostel was incredibly clean and comfortable with spacious rooms and decent beds. The best part however was the separate male and female bathrooms and the fact that the showers were amazing. Such a treat to have these facilities for 6 days. 

Until next time. 

A x